Citation

Clements PT, Garzon L, Milliken TF. Crit. Care Nurs. Clin. North Am. 2006; 18(3): 359-369.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.ccell.2006.05.011

PMID

16962457

Abstract

Survivors' guilt is a pervasive mental health issue that is often initially manifested by family members in the critical care unit. With increased awareness and enhanced targeted assessment, critical care nurses are in a unique position to begin the initial processes of adaptive coping and functional grief and bereavement in surviving family members. Because the trajectory of grief and bereavement are often complex and long term, the additional complication of survivors' guilt can lead to many psychosocial and physical manifestations and sequelae. However, with early identification and intervention relative to the underlying factors of survivors' guilt, including appropriate referral and psychoeducational intervention and resources, critical care nurses can enhance and extend their care to families in the throes of significant and sudden loss and intrapsychic trauma.

Language: en

Keywords

Accidents; Adaptation, Psychological; Adult; Child, Preschool; Female; Grief; Guilt; Humans; Infant; Male; Nursing Care; Parents; Professional-Family Relations; Spouses; Suicide; Survivors